Separation and Reunion
by Esprit de L'eau
Summary: They say love knows no boundaries. And it's not a crime being gay, right? LK, pre-WW2 AU


**Disclaimer: **I do not own D Gray Man

A/N: Yeah, shoot me again. It's _another_ AU one shot. You can blame my sister for giving me the idea and yeah, you can really shoot me now. And it may be confusing to those who didn't study pre-WW2 Germany. And my keyboard is kinda faulty so there may be spelling errors.

* * *

Sounds of gunfire echoed through the streets. A lone red-haired man ran from debris to debris, glancing around for any signs of the soldiers. The hot winds from the battlefields blew mildly over the semi-destroyed town, playing with the bright red strands of hair that was not supported by the equally bright green headband. His right eye concealed by an eye patch and his left eye wandered cautiously over the top of the broken wall. The emerald orb made sure that the coast was clear before heading across the road to a house that seemed to be the only one still standing untouched among the street. Other houses were in desolate state, some beyond all hope of repair. He knocked twice on the door and swiftly turned around in case there were any soldiers tailing him. The door behind him opened and he quickly stepped in.

"That was really close," the red-haired man said as he walked into the house, not bothering to remove his shoes. "The soldiers are in the area again."

The other occupant of the house, a man with waist-long black hair and a face with semi-girlish features simply leaned against a door frame and watched as the red-haired man walk from room to room. But it was the expression chiseled onto his face that warned those who dared to approach him thinking that he was from the second half of the human race. His dark steel gray eyes narrowed as he shifted his gaze out of the partially covered window.

"Yuu?" the voice of the red-haired man calling him snapped him out of his trance. "Ready?"

The black haired man nodded. The other smiled and walked to the front door. The black haired man hesitated for a while before finally opening his mouth to say, "Lavi. Wait."

Lavi stopped in his tracks, his hand raised halfway to touch the door knob. "Yeah?" he answered. "If you want to say anything just say it now."

"What if… What if we get captured?" he asked. Echoes of fired bullets ricocheted through the street, sounding oddly loud in the empty house. "You know, after Rouvelier took over the country, it just isn't the same as before anymore."

The red-haired man, Lavi, turned around and smiled gently at the other man. "Nobody knows what the road ahead holds, Yuu," he said walking forwards to the other, his hand reaching forward and taking hold of the other's right hand. "So we just have to take the chance now to go back to Britain and enlist Komui's help. I know what you're thinking. We were the ones who fled to here years ago and now we're going back. Weird I know, but now Germany is fighting a war against the world. Given Rouvelier's mindset towards non-Aryans, it won't be surprising if we were rounded up as foreigners and sent to some camp and forced into slave labour."

Kanda's eyes never left the ground; his face betrayed nothing of what he felt deep down. His hand tightened around Lavi's as he decided. He raised his head to meet the other's reassuring face and felt much more at ease. He allowed his eyes to show a small hint of relief as Lavi pulled him to the door.

Lavi pulled Kanda closer as he opened the door. The dusty smell of the debris outside clung to the brown poncho Lavi was wearing and the time spent outside watching for soldiers dulled his green headband. Ever since Rouvelier started his conquest for territory on neighbouring countries, Germany itself had been split into two: true Germans and foreigners. Lavi and Kanda belonged to the second half and Rouvelier possessed a sadistic obsession regarding all foreigners, the disabled and homosexuals. Lavi read from the papers that Jews were being rounded up and killed in mass numbers while homosexuals were imprisoned in concentration camps. The only reason they had been able to stay alive till now was because Lavi successfully persuaded Kanda to pretend to be a woman for as long as it took to convince the soldiers that they were not homosexuals. Kanda refused to talk to Lavi for the rest of the day.

Lavi finally decided that the coast was clear and opened the door as much as they needed. Quickly, they stepped through the threshold and darted for the shelter of the nearest house ruin. They were still miles from their destination and danger lurked all around them in the form of the Nazi soldiers and Rouvelier's personal assassination squad, Crows. The wind tugged lightly at Kanda's grayish-white scarf as he pressed his back against a demolished wall and listened to the small squad of soldiers march down the street on the other side of the wall. Lavi's grip never left Kanda's and he felt the redhead beside him squeeze his hand slightly in fear. When the sound of marching boots faded, Lavi peeked around the wall to check for any stragglers that might be straying behind because he was too slow to catch up to his troop. When the street remained soldier-free for half a minute, Lavi gently tugged Kanda's arm and they ran up the street.

"Where did he say he was waiting?" asked Kanda as they continued running, turning into alleys where they might be able to hide for a moment to catch their breaths and following the route Lavi had laid out.

Lavi said nothing but gestured to another deserted backlane. They raced into the very end and stopped there to check their surroundings again. "Red house on the second street from the beach," Lavi replied after catching his breath. "It's another two more streets from here. Chances are likely that more soldiers will be ahead. We can wait till they pass by though."

Kanda glanced back at the street. They were pressed closely together into a dark corner at the end of the backlane. 'That bean sprout had better not been caught already," he muttered.

Lavi laughed quietly at that remark. "Allen is a smart kid, Yuu," he said. "He won't allow himself to be caught that easily."

More marching could be heard from the entrance of the backlane. Both of them waited for the last of the marching to fade with bated breaths. When they were certain the soldiers had left, Lavi was the first to walk out and check. The road was clear. Lavi gestured to Kanda to walk over quickly and they resumed running to the beach.

* * *

After a long while, they finally reached a checkpoint from where they would meet up with Allen. Kanda watched the road along the beach for any sign of danger while Lavi sat on the sand. The beach was separated from the road by a mini cliff from the side of the road.

"Which is the road to where bean sprout is?" Kanda asked.

"Meer Road," replied Lavi. "The building should be visible from here. It's red, you can't miss it."

Kanda said nothing about the Dutch name of the road but instead directed his attention to the houses. A red building was clearly visible. "The red building… It's still quite a distance from here," Kanda said. When he got no response from Lavi, he turned towards the redhead and found Lavi staring into space with a blank expression on his face. "Lavi," Kanda called again. He moved nearer to Lavi and still got no response. Kanda shook his shoulders and succeeded bringing the other back to reality. "What were you thinking of?"

"Just a few things," Lavi replied, looking at the dark blue sea that stretched on beyond the horizon. "Mostly what will we be doing after we get out of here."

"Tch, we're going to die out here if the Nazi finds us and here you are thinking of the future," Kanda retorted. "We got to get to the bean sprout first."

Lavi shrugged. "Alright, I get it. Let's go," he said. They climbed up to the road and headed straight for the red building Kanda saw.

* * *

Lavi knocked the door three times and waited in the dark, deserted corridor. Kanda seemed very tensed up. He had said that he did not think that they were the only ones in the building. Lavi assured him that it was probably his imagination. And then again, for Allen Walker to evade capture until now, given Allen's British origins, was definitely fishy enough. The door opened and a white-haired boy beckoned them in come in.

"Lavi," the boy greeted. "I was surprised to hear your voice on the phone that day. I thought you and Kanda disappeared in the world."

Kanda sat himself on a chair nearest to the window and looked out. Lavi's eye followed him and turned his attention back to the boy. "When we meet up again, I'll tell you the whole thing ok?" he said as Allen walked to a large desk and picked up a few papers.

"I'm not even sure whether we'll meet again," the white-haired boy replied. "There're other people still in Germany who are looking for a chance to cross the border. And I'm one of the few tickets out." He flipped through the papers in his hand until he found what he was looking for. "Spent the whole day searching for people who are able to leave Germany without problems since then. So when do you want to leave?"

"As soon as possible," Lavi replied. Kanda continued staring out of the window but Lavi had a feeling he was listening as well. "Rouvelier's rounding up non-Aryans as we speak. But Allen, why were you able to stay uncaptured for so long? Yuu and I were nearly caught last week."

Allen's hands froze and his hair cast a shadow over his eyes. Lavi noted the obvious changes in Allen's body language. He recalled Kanda's ability to sense where people were hiding and with Allen's evasion of capture until now. The answer stood before him and Lavi was seldom wrong. "Allen… You did not…" Lavi said, trying to keep his voice even. "You… were part of the supporters, right? You were not helping people to escape, you were helping the Nazis to catch them."

There was a loud crash behind him. He knew that Kanda jolted up so quickly in shock and the chair had fallen over. Footsteps walked over quickly and Allen was lifted off his feet by his shirt.

"You idiot bean sprout," Kanda growled. "Why did you join them for no reason? You saw how unstable the country has become and you want to _help_ them? You're out of your mind."

Heavy footsteps could be heard moving all around them. A sick smile spread across Allen's face although the shadow of his hair still covered his eyes. "This time, you won't get away," he said in a slightly sadistic tone. "Both of you are surrounded. They know who you are and where you come from. I told them everything."

Kanda dropped Allen and glared at the only door out of the room. Lavi ran to the window and looked out. A swarm of soldiers surrounded the house like ants, their drawn rifles pointing up. They would be shot to death if they dared to jump out of the window. Allen back off till he hit the wall, the sick smile never leaving his face. He tapped the wall lightly with a finger. The door burst open and Lavi and Kanda found themselves at gunpoint.

"Nobody move," one of the soldiers commanded. Lavi and Kanda did not need that warning. They were already breaking out in cold sweat and not daring to move a muscle. The few rifles pointing at them shifted to an angle to let in another soldier. The uniform design indicated that he was on a higher rank than those pointing their barrels at Lavi and Kanda. The higher rank soldier fished out a stack of papers and looked at them and the papers simultaneously.

"Kanda Yuu. 18, Japanese," he said loudly as he read off the details from a sheaf of paper. He turned the page. "Lavi, 18, nationality unknown." He looked at Allen who shrugged.

"I don't know where he came from, Howard Link," was the answer from Allen.

Link's attention returned to the papers in his hand. He raised his left hand and gestured it forward. Four soldiers dashed into the room and restrained the two men.

"What the – Let go, damn it," Kanda demanded as Lavi tried to throw his attackers back. More soldiers ran in and helped trap Kanda's flailing limbs, leaving only his feet free to help him stand. Stomping on one foot seemed like a stupid plan. There were more of them behind Link who could move at a second's notice.

"Move the redhead out," Link ordered. "Send the other on the boat." The soldiers saluted as a sign that the order will be carried out.

Lavi and Kanda were visibly shocked. "What? Why?" Lavi asked. "Why is Yuu being sent somewhere else? Oi, Two Spots, answer me!!"

Allen gasped at Lavi's audacity. Link stopped in his tracks and actually turned his head to glower at Lavi. "What did you say?" Link demanded.

"I said, why is Yuu being sent somewhere else?" Lavi repeated. "What did we do?"

Link smirked. "Isn't it obvious?" he said with an air of patience as if he were talking to a five-year-old child. "We joined forces with Japan. All Japanese are allowed to live if they agreed to be sent back to their motherland. And you two are male. Can't any of you read the notices?"

Lavi's face paled by a few shades. "Damn it," he cursed. "Yuu looks female enough. Can't you let it pass?"

Kanda sent a death glare in Lavi's direction. Lavi, however, was more fixed on Link instead. Link gave a short sigh of mirth. "Take them away," he said. That was the last time Lavi saw Kanda.

* * *

'_Taken care of' my foot. It's obviously a freaking concentration camp_, Lavi thought to himself as he looked out of the small window of the depressingly cramped room. He did not know what Link had told Kanda. Perhaps some form of assurance that Lavi would be 'taken care of' if Kanda agreed to return back to Japan. He only knew that Link sent him a message that Kanda had been shipped back to the Asian country. Lavi was thrown into some weird kind of place where they were made to work day to night. The supervisors were brutal and Lavi's sanity was on the verge of breaking. _Using captured prisoners as slave labourers_, he continued thinking as he watched the crescent moon rise. _You can use that brain of yours for other reasons Rouvelier._ Each room, or rather a cell, had three people camping together. Lavi's two other roommates were sound asleep. He never bothered to find out who they were. There were rumours about the place that there had been cases where prisoners were worked to the point where they just dropped dead out of fatigue. He raised his hand, as if to reach the crescent smile hanging onto the dark velvet of the night. _Yuu, where are you now? Do you miss me? _He asked mentally. The only thing that was keeping him from losing his sanity was his perfect memories of the past. He recalled when he first arrived in Europe, everything was new to him. He brought up recollections of the friends he left back in Britain. Komui, Lenalee, Miranda, Reever… Other people whom he interacted with over a basis of two years. He remembered his mentor who taught him histories of the world that can never be found in books. He brought out details of how he first met Kanda and steadily became friends and then progressed on to something more. He will always be able to go back in time in his world where he and Kanda decided to run to Germany to escape the restrictions placed on them when in Britain. He will always, always find brief relief in the time where it was just the both of them living together, and working together in the small café they set up. The bright glare of the morning sun never failed to bring Lavi back to harsh reality.

_It's morning again_, Lavi thought as he got up groggily. _Another day of back-breaking torture._

* * *

Kanda sat at the edge of the balcony of his traditionally-built house. Link had told him that Lavi would be taken care of if he went back to Japan. Without hesitating, he agreed to the offer. The next day he found himself on a passenger ship sailing back to his native land. The trip took about twelve days but it felt like three weeks to Kanda. Every day he wondered about Lavi. Mostly he wondered what Lavi was doing now. When the ship finally reached Japan, it was no real problem finding his way back to him home village. He was somewhat relieved that he was able to speak Japanese without much problem, given that he had migrated to Europe for at least eight years. He found his family at the very same house he had been brought up in. They were relieved to see Kanda back again as they had heard about the clashes in Europe. With nothing else to occupy his time, Kanda assisted the nearby dojo school.

Kanda tilted his head up to face the setting sun as it dipped into the horizon in a splash of orange, pink and lilac. _Lavi, can you hear me?_ Kanda asked, mostly to himself. It was as if he wished to project those thoughts halfway across the world to Germany. _What are you doing now? I'm fine. I'm back in my hometown. What about you?_

He continued to gaze at the orange orb until it finally sank into the night. When the first stars came out, he went back inside.

* * *

The strain of doing slave labour everyday was starting to take its toll on Lavi's body. His eye no longer held the spark of determination to hold out until Rouvelier's reign was over. It held nothing but emptiness while the other remained covered by the eye patch. Although being in the sun daily should have changed the tone of his skin, it looked pale. It was the body of someone who was malnourished. His hair was dulled into reddish brown from the dust that gathered in the air during daytime. The green headband had gotten lost at some point in time and the reddish brown locks now fell over his forehead into his line of vision. Various cuts and scars marred his arms. And miraculously, Lavi remained perfectly sane although he wondered when his sanity will finally break under all the stress he was under. Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. Lavi stopped counting the days it had passed since he was thrown in here. Every day it was the same routine. It never changed.

Then one day, the routine was broken. Lavi's mind started to break down under the extreme pressures. He had been stationed near one of the gates when a large tank approached the gate. The gate was not large enough to let the tank pass through so part of the fence was cut away for the tank to bulldoze over. Lavi was ordered to fix the fence along with other prisoners from the camp. He deliberately left his part of the fence loose. The supervisors only cared about the exterior than the quality anyway. Now he only had to wait for the perfect timing.

When evening arrived, Lavi took advantage of the confusion that always occurred when rounding up the prisoners to hide in one of the boxes that were left stacked around the camp for some reason. He waited till it was completely dark before climbing out of the box. He found the fence where he left loose easily. Things were going according to plan so far. With some difficulty, he tugged the fence until it gave way and he forced a corner up to make a hole large enough for his body to fit through. He slipped through the hole quickly and headed straight for the forest that bordered the camp. Running further into the depths of the plants that provided his shelter, Lavi turned around once to double check that no one was following him. From his position, he could still see where he had crawled out from. It was now surrounded by soldiers, and possibly more on their way to search for him. Discarding second thoughts, Lavi ran through the forest. Occasionally he stopped to take a quick rest or when his ears picked up movement in the forest. The weather was clear enough and the temperature was cool. _Thanks, if there's anyone up there who can hear_, Lavi thought as he glanced back in case an enemy was sneaking up behind him.

Faint daylight could be seen in the sky when he finally reached a town. But the uncomfortable atmosphere in the air suggested something else. As he walked through the street, al the house he saw were either deserted, or destroyed. It was a ghost town, given that there was not a single soul to be seen. The layout of the town seemed to be eerily familiar. Then it hit Lavi. It was the same town that he had lived before with Kanda. Few people were left in this area as most of the locals were from overseas or had foreign roots. It seemed like they had abandoned the town in favour of their survival. He quickly ran to the edge of the town and stopped in front of a familiar two-storey building. Panting hard, his eye traced over every crack, fading paint and corner of the building. He twisted the knob and pushed the door. It was unlocked of course. He never locked it in that day they went to meet up with that betrayer.

Quickly, Lavi darted inside and shut the door as quietly as possible and turned the lock. He was safe, for the time being. Tiredness came over him in a large wave and he could not keep his eye open any longer. It was fear and panic and hope that kept his brain running until now. Walking upstairs, he opened the room door and walked towards the window from the side of the room. Carefully, he drew the blinds across the windows, cutting the sunlight into pieces. Falling back onto the bed, he closed his eye and was asleep within seconds.

* * *

It was almost dark when Lavi woke up again. Sitting up on the bed, he thought of the next step to take. Kanda was back in Japan, he was sure of it. Some inner voice and sixth sense confirmed it. Japan was accessible only by sea route. And being branded as an escaped prisoner would send him back to the camp if he even tried to walk onto any Japan-bound ship. The only option left was to sneak into a ship. The harbor was some way off from the town, and to find which ships were going to Japan would take some time. Lavi checked the town for any soldiers and made his way to the harbor as quickly as possible. He saw Allen on his way there. It was through sheer restraint that he stopped himself walking over and strangling the younger boy there. He hid himself from the white-haired boy and took a slightly longer route to the harbor.

Lavi hid himself as much as possible behind some crates. There were no less than three cargo ships docked at the harbor. They could be going anywhere in the world except those countries who put an embargo on Germany. He failed to notice someone walking up to him until that person tapped him lightly on his shoulder. Lavi jumped and crashed his body into the crates. He noticed who the person is and relaxed visibly.

"Miss Klaud, you nearly scared me," Lavi said. Klaud Nine, a woman with blonde hair that covered the left side of her face and blue eyes, looked down at Lavi, her face showing nothing. Her pet monkey, Lau Jimine, sat on her right shoulder, made a noise. She had the looks to pass of for one of Germany's 'true' race, but Lavi knew better. She gestured for Lavi to stand up and follow her. Lavi got up quickly and she led him into a makeshift office in a corner of the harbor.

"I'm surprised to see you here," Klaud said as Lau Jimine hopped off her shoulder to settle in its cage, eating bananas with gusto. "I was under the assumption Walker has managed to send you back to Britain."

Lavi sat down on a chair. "Long story Miss Klaud," he replied. "Allen called in Rouvelier's army and I got hauled to some weird prison camp while Yuu was sent back to Japan. I somehow escaped that nightmarish place last night and spent a night in my old house. I was thinking of going to Japan to find Yuu again, but being branded as an escaped prisoner just spoils things."

Klaud watched Lau Jimine chatter happily as it swung from a bar in its cage. "Lucky you," Klaud finally answered. "I know the ships schedules here. None of the ships here are going to Japan directly, but there will be one heading for your destination tomorrow. Walker isn't the only one with a passport out of this place."

Lavi's eye held a suspicious look. Allen was a long-time friend of his, and because of Allen, he ended up in some weird place. "How do I know that I can trust you?" Lavi questioned. "Allen sold us out to the Nazis."

He watched Klaud hand him a stack of papers. Inside were listed people who Lavi knew had already left the country. Among those listed was Noise Marie, an acquaintance of Kanda's. He heard Kanda say that Noise was safely back in his country shortly after Rouvelier started his 'pure German blood only country' craze. It was enough to convince Lavi that Klaud will be able to transport him safely to his destination. He handed the papers back to the Klaud who took them and stored them under another pile.

"So are you convinced now?" Klaud asked. Lavi nodded. Klaud looked at a board with pinned papers on it. "There will be a passenger ship to Japan tomorrow around late morning. After everyone has alighted, there is a short time for the crew to clear up the cabins before getting ready for the boarding passengers. I'll get them to admit you as a VIP so that you can board before the others. The rest is up to you then." Out of nowhere, she got out a boarding pass and told Lavi to sign on it.

"It's real right?" Lavi asked with uncertainty as he finished filling in the blanks.

"It's a counterfeit boarding pass," Klaud replied calmly as Lavi's entire body stiffened with realization. "The producer happens to be from a trading line of sea routes before. So far, nobody could tell that it's a fake. I used at least a hundred of these so far and I haven't heard that anyone had been caught." She placed the boarding pass under a clipboard. "Until morning, you can take a rest and relax a little. I'm in charge of this place, so nobody would usually have any objections voiced out loud."

Lavi had no complaints to that proposal. He had known Klaud since Marie was the one who recommended her for their escape and met her to ask about the sea routes she used. Klaud told him that he could use the small room at the back if he wanted to rest. He sat down on the sofa and let his mind drift to slumber land. The supervisors at the camp never let any of them sleep fully for eight hours.

* * *

Lavi was woken up by Lau Jimine happily tickling his nose with its tail. He held his breath until the urge to sneeze faded away. When he opened his left eye, the monkey jumped off his body and scampered out of the room. _Damn monkey_, Lavi thought as he sat up on the sofa. The sun was shining again. He could see the sky from the only window in the room.

Klaud walked into the room with Lau Jimine on her shoulder again. "You're awake," she said. Turning to Lau Jimine, she muttered, "Good job." She dropped extra clothes on Lavi's head. "Get a bath and change into these. The ship is arriving soon. Your prisoner clothes are a little too obvious where you came from," she instructed and left the room. Lavi picked up the clothes and left for the bathroom that Klaud had pointed out on his way out.

He checked himself out in the mirror in the bathroom. His hair returned to its red glamour and his green eye no longer held a hollow look. He discarded the beige clothes that was the standard uniform all prisoners were made to wear at the camp and put on the clothes Klaud had given him. It somewhat resembled the clothes Allen wore, except without the vest and the ridiculous ribbon. He still preferred his old dark green shirt. He walked out and Klaud told him to wait at the door. After a while, she arrived and brought him to a ship.

Klaud spent about five minutes talking to a man whose uniform was designed to suit his rank; a captain. She showed him the fake boarding pass and he finally relented and allowed Lavi on board. Lavi thanked Klaud countless times before she cut him off by saying, "If there's anything I would hate to see, it's for someone to be away from the person they treasured so much. Go get him back." She handed him the boarding pass and left the ramp, leaving Lavi smiling at the monkey still sitting on Klaud's shoulder.

* * *

Lavi stayed in the cabin assigned to him nearly all the time. The room was small, but not as cramped as the ones he saw in the lowest levels. He never left the room unless absolutely necessary. The clothes Klaud given him had helped him blend in with the rest of the passengers, except most of them seemed to be Asian. His red hair stood out in the crowd so he spent the twelve days holed up in his cabin making up for whatever lost sleep the camp forced out of him. After a week, it seemed like his system was rested enough. He explored the ship at night, not too late or he might be mistaken for a stowaway. Then he started counting down the days it would take to reach his destination. 6… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1 day left until he reached Japan. Yuu mentioned his hometown of course. It was situated somewhere in the Nagoya county. And the ship was docking in Kobe. Lavi could barely keep his relief in. After a long time, he was going to see Kanda again.

The boat gave the signal that it was time to alight. Lavi walked down the ramp and stood somewhere where he could see everything. He asked a passerby for directions to Nagoya. His fluency in Japanese came from the fact that his mentor had taught him the language and Kanda corrected every mistake he made when speaking. He would have to travel on foot there.

* * *

Kanda had just finished closing the dojo. He felt strange wearing Japanese clothes again. His body had grown accustomed to the western clothes he wore back in Europe. He still kept the clothes that he had worn when he returned. He changed back into western clothes when his discomfort wearing Japanese clothes increased again. But wearing them tended to attract unwanted attention as he was the only Japanese wearing western clothes from a ten kilometer radius. The dojo was quite a distance from his house. It was situated nearer to Nagoya than Osaka. Kanda picked up a few of the things his mother forced him to bring along to the dojo every day and walked down the road back to his village. There was a broad stream that separated the dojo from his village. Kanda found the waters somewhat calming every time he crossed the bridge that connected the banks together. The setting sun casted its blood red rays on the water, turning it a breathtaking orange. He stopped before the bridge and looked into the water. A few fishes chased each other in the current and the lotus flowers were dragged along with the current, stopped by their stalks which held them firmly into the soil. Kanda's eyes followed the fish upstream and a flash of red among the orange waters caught his attention. He blinked twice. The red was not caused by the sun reflecting into the water. And the red was getting nearer each passing second. Dropping his stuff onto the grass, he quickly walked upstream. The red seemed familiar. The only result Kanda's mind returned was _him_. Kanda shook his head to get it out of his brain. _It's impossible. He won't be here in Japan_, he thought as his steps broke into a run.

It was a human who floated on the stream, carried by the current. His red hair was the only thing visible as the person was face down into the water. Kanda used a long stick he found on the grass to hook onto the person's shirt and pulled the person towards him. Hauling the person out of the water, Kanda made the person face up. That was when the eye patch still covering his right eye gave it away.

Kanda's fear for Lavi overcame his initial shock as he felt around for Lavi's wrist. Relief floated briefly through his face. Taking hold of Lavi's shoulders he began shaking the other man awake. "Oi Lavi, wake up," Kanda said. "Open your eyes, _baka usagi_!!" When the other man did not respond, Kanda checked Lavi's hands. The wrinkled skin on his fingers suggested that he had been in the water for some time, probably over two hours. Ignoring the amount of water soaked into Lavi's clothes, Kanda pulled Lavi onto his back and crossed the bridge back to his home.

* * *

Lavi regained consciousness shortly after night had fallen. The first thing he saw was the tiled ceiling of a house but the focus was off. He sat up, ignoring the pounding headache that thundered through his head. His vision cleared after a while. He looked around and saw that he was in a house. His clothes had somehow transformed into Japanese clothes. Then he remembered what happened. The door behind him slid open with a papery 'whoosh' and soft footsteps entered. Lavi turned around to see who had entered the room. The sight of the person's face made his heart throb painfully with overflowing happiness and relief.

"You're awake," Kanda said as he sat down beside Lavi. "I found you in the water."

Lavi smiled sheepishly. "Well… I was crossing this bridge from a really high cliff where I can see the mountain. And the bridge suddenly snapped into half and I dropped down into the river below," Lavi replied scratching his head nervously. "I didn't really expect to meet up with Yuu like this." He leaned in and put his arms around Kanda, confirming that it was indeed _his_ Kanda Yuu that he was talking to, holding to. "I miss Yuu," he murmured, his grip tightening around the other.

Kanda returned the embrace until Lavi relaxed his grip and pulled back leaning in and fastened his mouth to Kanda's, kissing him rather thoroughly. Kanda returned the kiss, both of them devouring each other as if they were eating each other out. They finally broke apart for air and Kanda could sense the other smiling even in the dark.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"Yuu and I are together again," Lavi said. "Nothing can break us apart again right?"

"Hn, who dares to do that will be beaten senseless," Kanda replied, earning a laugh from Lavi. He found himself drawn back to Lavi again and could not help but agree. They were together again.

* * *

A/N: Oh wow, I'm still alive. Heh, I'm lucky I guess? I nearly put night time for _**both**_ Japan and Germany until I remembered the distance between the two countries is, like, halfway across the world and there's time difference. And I mistook the Suez Canal for the Panama shortcut thingy in South America. Was it South America? OHO… My geography… Constructive criticism allowed.


End file.
